Welcome to the weekend coffee share! Can I get you a cup of coffee? Or tea? I have to say that this is a fabulous week! Work was busy (good) as usual, school was interesting and the weather AMAZING! We had our first snow the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. The whole world is white. We’ve had several crystal clear, cold days with blue skies and sun shine. This is my favourite kind of weather. The world is bright and I feel alive. The light gives me so much energy and a warm happy feeling inside. I’ve been outside as much as possible during the day.

On my walk to work Thursday morning some snow-covered trees captured my attention.

On my walk this morning I stopped and admired a stream.

This morning it was 12F/11C, it is slightly warmer right now -7C/19F. In some parts of Sweden they’ve had A LOT of snow. In my region it’s just the right amount, I wouldn’t mind a little more, we certainly don’t have a snow chaos, like they have along our East coast. We are used to snow here and everyone knows that there will be snow this time of the year.

When I was done with school today there was still some daylight left and I decided to visit one of my favourite places. There is a very old pine tree here, some think it is around 400 years old. Do you know that there are some insects that only live under the bark of trees that are several hundred years old? Old trees are crucial to biodiversity, due to the unique habitats they are creating. I like visiting this tree, just spending time in any forest makes me very calm and relaxed, but this place is even more special. Can you relate? Do you have a place like that?

It is the pine tree in the middle of the photo. It is not the oldest tree in the region, but in our part of the region. (The oldest tree in the region is Old Tjikko, my daughter and I hiked out to that tree a couple years ago.)

Our local old pine is in a very nice nature area open to the public, with walking trails and fire pits. The walking trails are well maintained and accessible to everyone.

There is even free fire wood available.

The pine forest is next to a wetland area where there is a lot of birds in the spring, a popular spot for birdwatching.

How is your week? Any fun plans for the weekend? Thank you so much Natalie for hosting the weekend coffee share, I hope you decide to continue hosting next year.

Me, next to the old pine tree.

Maria

19 responses to “Weekend Coffee Share – Winter”

  1. Brr… those are some cold temperatures. I love the trees, they look lovely in a coat of snow. :) In my opinion, I think snow is nice to look at, not so nice to have to walk or drive in it.

    I envy you being so close to nature. To see such view will usually require me to drive a minimum of 30 to 45 minutes.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I grew up in cold weather, for me it feels like home :) It is sadly slightly warmer today, around 30F. Thank you for your kind comment.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. It’s great that you’ve had some snowfall – I agree completely with you on it being the best weather! Minus 15c and sunny is perfect for a hike or xc ski or snowshoes (with a snack and hot chocolate/coffee in the backpack!
    There’s a hint of snow for the city promised next week, but I think we’ll have to head to the hills for real snow.
    Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Funny that you mentioned snowshoeing, my daughter and I taked about what she wanted to do for her Christmas break, and she mentioned snowshoeing. i haven’t done that in a while, but really enjoy it. I hope you get to see some snow soon :) Have a wonderful weekend!

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  3. I love the glow in your second photo, what a great Christmas card that would make. 🌲
    Our days aren’t as cold as yours, but we are heading in that direction. Snow won’t stay until the ground freezes, which could happen in the next few weeks.
    What is the pastry in the first photo? Looks like something I would like to make!
    Have a lovely weekend and week ahead!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you! It was early in the morning and the glow came from a street light and not the sun, but it was still pretty :)

      The first photo is actually of a focaccia with herbs, mozzarella and pesto that I enjoyed at a cafe earlier this week. I was going to write about that, but the post became so long.

      I hope you are enjoying a fabulous weekend. Are you excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations?

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      1. Got it, I might try my hand at making one. Thanks, I will be heading to my niece’s, it’ll be good to see family and feast!

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  4. The snow certainly adds a different vibe to the scenery. I confess I do miss the snow.

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  5. I meant to say. The fire pits are in the forest. So you just grab some wood and light one?

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    1. The snow does make everything so much lighter. Yes, you can grab some wood and make a fire, the fire pits are placed at a safe difference from the trees.

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  6. Beautiful photos of winter, Maria. It’s great that you live/ work close to a nature area with well-maintained walking trails. Old trees are special. Thank you for sharing one of your favourite places in your weekend coffee share.

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    1. Thank you so much. I do appreciate the surrounding nature. It is a choice I’ve made to always live close to some kind of nature. It mean so much to be able to easily enjoy a serene walk. Thank you for your visit. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend.

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  7. Beautiful pictures, Maria. It’s a lovely time of year for appreciating nature’s beauty. I am starting a photo a day challenge on December 1, I didn’t write about it this week but I will next coffee share.

    Happy Saturday.

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    1. Thank you! Looking forward to hear about the challenge. Happy Saturday!

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  8. Antoinette Truglio Martin Avatar
    Antoinette Truglio Martin

    Good to see you all bundled up in the snowy scenes.

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    1. My grandmother used to say “There is no bad weather, only wrong clothes” when she wanted us to go out and play in the winter (in Swedish it rhymes). Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

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  9. Hi Maria, such a beautiful post as I enjoy your walk with you through the amazing scenes and old trees. I didn’t know about the bugs or insects that need old trees to thrive! Mother nature is amazing! I love how there is firewood available to use and it’s so wonderful you are so close to all the beautiful nature! You look so beautiful too, did you crochet the scarf? As I remember you sharing those colors. 🤩

    My daughter and I enjoyed a beautiful Sunday together working on meal planning and grocery shopping for our Thanksgiving coming up this week. It’s so fun to have her here to help with the cooking and preparation. There are only 4 of us to feed and of course we cook so much food. Leftovers are great to have too!

    I hope you have a wonderful week! Love, Diana

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    1. Thank you Diana ❤️ I feel blessed having all this amazing nature at my door step. The place with the old pine tree is a very short walk from my house..and yes, I did crochet the scarf, but not recently. I purchased a lot of this colour, and a purple and a blue colour a few years back.
      I hope your Thanksgiving week is amazing!!

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